Getting Started with Visual C++ 6 with an Introduction to MFC

This companion to C++ How to Program: Second Edition carefully introduces how to use the Microsoft Visual Studio 6 integrated development environment (IDE) and Visual C++ 6 to create Windows programs using basic Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC).

As a hands-on tutorial to using Visual C++ 6, Getting Started with Microsoft Visual C++ 6 with an Introduction to MFC functions as a worthy reference to learning basic Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) programming. Written as a companion text to the authors' comprehensive C++ tutorial, C++ How to Program, this book will also be valuable to any beginning or intermediate C++ programmer tackling MFC for the first time.

The signature style of this book can be found in high-level, detailed use of Visual C++ and MFC along with a series of simple exercises. Despite its short length, the book is filled with specifics, including key terms, dozens of problems, and generally good coverage of MFC basics in a concise format.

Overall, the authors avoid using the various wizards in the Visual C++ environment and concentrate instead on do-it-yourself coding and discussions of key MFC classes and principles. The book includes a quickly moving tour of MFC, from basic window classes, event handling, and programming with basic control classes and graphics. After working through the examples, any C++ programmer will become familiar with the basics of MFC for client-side development (though database programming, ActiveX, and Internet development get no mention here).

As a concise tour of traditional client-side application development using MFC, this book fills a useful niche as a handy source for getting acquainted with MFC programming quickly. Provided you have some previous C++ knowledge, this text can definitely introduce you to the fundamentals of MFC development. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered: Visual C++ IDE basics, debugger, introduction to MFC, resources, menus, dialog boxes, mouse and keyboard message handling, MFC control classes, graphics, timers, bitmaps, and fonts.